Art 101 - Remix "The Three Jackies"

The Three Jackies: the Artist Statement

There is nothing more profound than a beautifully written verse, except for maybe a piece of artwork that speaks a thousand words all by itself. That notion is precisely why I chose Andy Warhol's artwork as the subject for my art remix. Warhol's works captured snapshots of moments in American history. One particular screen print of his, "Jackie", done in 1964 is the source of my art remix titled "The Three Jackies". "Jackie" was created during the Pop Art Movement..
I particularly favor "Jackie", because when American history is examined, this photo of Jackie Kennedy Onassis is remembered as the joyous period during President John Kennedy's administration. Once again, Warhol captures a poignant, but brief moment in time, and the world would later learn the extent of that brevity. Jackie's smiling face, soon to be covered with the veil of mourning for her mythical, fallen husband, is crowned with the beauty of a royal matriarch. Indeed, that is what she eventually became in the minds and hearts of the American public and the world...and she was only 34 years old. This piece is emotionally moving to me, because it speaks to the uncertainties in life. We can never know what is around the next corner. From moment to moment life is fleeting and a lifetime of building for the future can be torn apart as you are looking in the past, as Jackie did while turning the corner on that fateful day in Texas. No one in my lifetime has faced adversity with more grace and dignity than Jackie, so with that knowledge, I chose "Jackie" as my inspiration piece.
In my remix "The Three Jackies", I used the medium of black and white photography to highlight the values of light and dark in the work. It simulates the screen printing appearance. A photo of both myself and my sister is pictured in the work. Because of my sister's personality resemblance to Jackie, I felt compelled to feature her in this work. The irony of their parallel lives are eerie. My sister is also 34 years old, the age Jackie was when she became a widow. My sister, like Jackie has two young children, a girl and boy, like John John and Caroline. She also, like Jackie is the epitome of good taste and poise, and I can personally understand why she would be so revered. Her strength in overcoming adversities, like Jackie, is also unchallenged.
"The Three Jackies" was completely computer generated and created on my desktop. The vibrant yellows and blues and funky purples and greens reflect the psychedelic movement and the colors of the sixties and seventies. This piece has the iconic Jackie photo in it twice to set the pattern and mood. The scale is large and dominates the canvas. The Warhol quote, "I've decided I can't wear odd things. I look like a weirdo. I'm going to stay in basic black," is a description he often used with himself. He was constantly adjusting his appearance to balance the eclectic with the odd. The four photos featured in the work are all of strong women in the prime of their lives with their futures uncertain. In the original "Jackie" by Warhol, he uses sensual colors of deep blues and reds over eyebrows and on her lips to create a figure who resembles Marilyn Monroe in many ways. In "the Three Jackies" neither Jackie, my sister, nor myself is covered in facial colors. Jackie is regal in her bare face. The strong contour lines of her face elude to a inner knowing, a sense that her life simply could not go unchanged forever. The strong colors also support the feelings of grandeur exuding from the work, though small in size. Warhol's most famous quote that "in the future everybody will be famous for 15 minutes" is also reflected in "the Three Jackies" as my sister and myself is immortalized on canvas for a brief moment.


Bibliography

Hoban, Phoebe. Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art. New York: Viking, 1998.

Anonymous. '15 Minutes of Fame." 2003. Online. The Andy Warhol Museum. Internet. 26 July 2005.
Available: warhol.org